A hockey source has confirmed to The Bruins Blog that the Bruins and defenseman Andrew Ference have agreed to terms on a three-year contract extension. UPDATE: The Bruins announced the deal at 11 a.m. The deal calls for a cap hit of $2.25 million per season, as per a source.

Ference, 31, was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent this summer. While his stint in Boston since 2007 has been marred by injury — he’s even playing through a groin injury that will require offseason surgery — Ference has been a solid member of the club’s top four when healthy. This season in 50 games, Ference has posted eight assists and a minus-7 rating.

The Ference signing means the Bruins have four of their current seven defensemen under contract for next season, with Dennis Seidenberg scheduled to be a UFA and Mark Stuart and Johnny Boychuk ticketed for restricted free agency. Ference currently carried a $1.4 million cap hit, so his new deal provides a significant raise.

[…] prone Ference will be on the Bruins blue line for three more years. Matt Kalman of ESPN Boston and thebruinsblog.net broke news earlier today that the Bruins have come to an agreement with Andrew Ference on a […]